1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ostomy device comprising a collecting bag and a base plate with an adhesive plate for being fastened on the user, said base plate having an opening for receiving an ostomy, said base plate further comprising a first flange for repeated and removable adhesive connection to a coupling element on the collecting bag, said first flange being manufactured from a material with a first tensile strength, said coupling element comprising a second flange manufactured from a material with a second tensile strength, said adhesive connection being provided by at least one layer of an adhesive.
The invention also relates to an ostomy collecting bag comprising a coupling element that comprises a second flange for removable and adhesive connection to a first flange on a base plate and for being fastened on a user, said first flange being manufactured from a material with a first tensile strength, said second flange being manufactured from a material with a second tensile strength, said adhesive connection being provided by at least one layer of adhesive.
2. Description of the Related Art
WO 96/38106 teaches an ostomy collecting system comprising a collecting bag with an inlet opening configured in a bag wall and with surrounding connecting elements for connection to an ostomy and a carrier device for the collecting bag. The carrier device comprises a base plate for fastening on the user and has an annular first flange connected to the base plate. The connecting elements comprise a second flange, which is permanently connected to the collecting bag and is configured to constitute a removable and adhesive connection to the first flange.
WO 01/85074 also describes an ostomy collecting system. The adhesive connection between the collecting bag and the carrier device is provided by an adhesive layer being applied onto one part, whereby repeated adhesions of the two flanges are possible. Both the first and the second flange are flexible and manufactured from elastic materials.
When designing adhesive couplings for this purpose, different materials are frequently used for the two coupling parts, and an increased flexibility for the coupling system is often achieved by using a very soft material for at least one of the coupling flanges, eg a foamed material like PE or EVA foam, preferably with closed cells. The adhesive is normally designed to yield as high an adhesive force as possible while still keeping a separable connection.
However, as the long-term properties of an adhesive connection may vary due to production variations, problems are experienced when separating the adhesive connection for removing the bag or repositioning the bag on the base plate. If, due to the above-mentioned variations, the adhesive forces become higher than the tensile strength of the softer material, residues of this material and the adhesive are left on the counterpart of the coupling, thereby compromising the proper functioning of the part which would normally be re-used by incurring a risk of leakage or even involuntary disconnection of the coupling system.
It should be mentioned that the term ‘elasticity’ is used for the material properties. A high elasticity module is characteristic of a rigid material, while a low elasticity module is characteristic of an elastic material.
‘Flexibility’ expresses a property of a component of a product: its ability to be bent, and it depends on the chosen material and the dimensions of the element.